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Last week in “The Dangers of Debt”, I shared a bit about my first and last experience with owing money. While the gut-wrenching feeling I experienced during this time played a big role in my decision to can credit (even when it was extended to me by loving parents), it was the Bible that ultimately pointed me in the direction of debt-free living.

While the Bible doesn’t say that owing money is a sin, it does clearly indicate that the wise man does his best to avoid it. Proverbs 22:7 declares that, “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” Proverbs 26:6 warns, “Do not be among those who give pledges, among those who become guarantors for debts.” And in Romans 13:7-8, the Apostle Paul admonishes believers to, “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Clearly, debt isn’t something to be entered into lightly or, if it can be avoided, at all.

Of course, keeping my promise to remain debt-free hasn’t always been easy. (Following God’s Word rarely is.) Over the years, I watched as my friends moved into nice homes, bought brand new cars, and started families of their own. While they weren’t necessarily living “high on the hog”, their lifestyles left plenty of room for new clothes, new toys, and new adventures. Meanwhile, I was living with my parents, driving a twenty-year old vehicle, and stashing every penny of my meager pay into savings in an attempt to form an emergency fund.

I won’t pretend that I wasn’t teased for my failure to “grow up” or that I wasn’t just a touch jealous that my life hadn’t “taken off” the same way that my friends’ had. I was working hard to obey God’s Word and give debt a wide berth, yet it seemed like it was my friends who were on top. At least, that was how it appeared until the recession hit.

It didn’t take long to realize that my “grown up” friends had been living beyond their means. Their “adult” lifestyle had been a façade financed by mortgages, credit cards, and government loans. I watched as they fought to keep their homes, their vehicles, and their dignity. Some of them even slipped into poverty, unable to support their own children. And for the first time, I was truly grateful for the commitment I’d made.

I’ll be the first to admit that living debt-free isn’t easy. It requires commitment – a willingness to stick to your guns when others tell you you’re foolish. It requires sacrifice – a readiness to put off the childish attitude that we want what we want when we want it. And it requires planning – a subject we’ll address in greater depth next week. Debt-free living isn’t for the weak, it’s for the strong, the diligent, and the self-controlled. And the freedom it gives is worth every ounce of effort it takes.